Gremlin in the Engine
by MixedBreedMaiya
Summary: JxC, set after The Final Joining. A new addition to the Voyager family changes alot of things... What's the crew to do with one new little trouble maker, let alone two? Look out for the gremlins! Note: Has been revised and altered due to a change of mind.
1. Can We Do This?

A new fanfiction! Yay! Yeah. This one is set after my previous JxC thing, The Final Joining. And, this one will be written ten times better, I hope. Oh, yeah - and it explains my Penname, too! ...Hey, Kitty.

Janeway: ...Yes?

Disclaimer, please?

Janeway: -Sigh- Very well. MixedBreedMaiya does not own Star Trek, nor any original concepts, themes, characters, etc. original to Paramount.

Thank ya' much. n.n

**And a Special Thanks:**

**To God, who gives me my talent n.n**

**Paramount... But I still hate you for the lack of official JxC. -Sigh- Oh, well, thank you for the ability to FANTASIZE about it. **

**And my reeadddeerrs! You're my awesome support and I hope you stay with me, 'cause your love is so awesome. Thank you so much.**

**Oohooh! Liz! I love you, girl. She's my fellow Voyager fanatic - we founded the UVA. United Voy-ers of America. Join. We have shirts. xD**

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"I'm sure it'll pass."

"Kathryn, just go see the Doctor."

Mixed in with his exasperation and weariness was a sense of amusement. Oh, yes, he had known from the moment he'd _suggested _it that Kathryn would fight going to Sickbay, tooth and nail; in the time spent on _Voyager_, he had learned quite well what she would and would not do, and had had his share of arguements with her. He knew her personality(and stubborness) inside-out, and loved every bit of it. ...Hence, the reason he'd married her five months past.

As she opened her mouth to make another protest, Chakotay cut her off at the pass. "If you're right, and it _is _nothing, then you'll be in and out of there in a few minutes - not to mention, he'll be able to aleviate your nausea. You'll feel better. What's the problem?"

Kathryn lifted her eyes from the padd she had in one hand, and lowered the coffee cupped in the other. "The problem," she replied, "is that at the moment I don't have time to leave because of a little nausea. I'll live. Trust me."

"And be miserable while you do." He reached over, skillfully taking the padd from her hand before she had a chance to realize his motives. "The Delta Quadrant can wait while you settle your stomach. It's not as though we're under attack." Here, he glanced out at the peaceful, starry view her Ready Room provided. "We're not even observing anything. All you're doing is trying to catch up on all the little details. All of the little problems around the ship."

"Exactly." She pursed her lips at him, but leaned back. "Key phrase there is, 'catch up.' I've let it go too long, and now I have to make sure everything is in order--I can't leave!" For he had, at this point, come around her desk and taken hold of her arm. Husband's privilege, and all. He hauled her gently to her feet, wisely allowing her to keep her coffee - Kathryn Janeway was not a pretty sight when depraved of her coffee - and tugged her toward the automatic doors.

"You can, and you will. It's my job to protect you, both as your First Officer and your spouse. Therefore, we are _going _to Sickbay." A grin hid at the corners of his mouth as she watched him for a moment. When she finally gave a heavy sigh and clearly resigned, it revealed itself, and he walked with her onto the Bridge. Tom and Harry cast glances their way, and matched his smile in amusement. He said nothing to them, however, as he proceeded the Captain into the Turbolift. "Deck five," he mused.

There was a few moments of good natured silence between them, despite her feeling ill and reproachful. "You know, this could just as easily have waited until my shift was over," she said at last. "A poor captain I would be if I couldn't deal with a little space sickness for a couple hours."

"But you wouldn't be able to accomplish as much." Chakotay looked sideways at her. "Your mind would always be half on the feeling."

She met his gaze with good-humored blue-grey eyes. She was obviously not really upset at him. "You're just trying to make excuses for being protective of me." Kathryn pointed her index finger up at him with a teasingly suspicious expression. He shrugged, innocently.

Together they walked, side-by-side, through the very familiar grey corridors winding about deck five. He took her the long way around to Sickbay, just to have that little bit of extra time alone with her. If she noticed(which he was positive she did, as she knew _Voyager_'s layout better than anyone else), she said nothing. She even let him link their arms, which was not often a public gesture with them. After all, they were the two highest ranking officers on the ship, and even though he knew the entire crew was thrilled that they'd finally gotten together, they still had to be very discreet.

When they finally turned into the infirmary, the eerily human, holographic doctor glanced up to greet them. "Captain. Commander." He set down his tricorder and a vial of amber liquid he'd been analyzing with it, and came over. "What can I do for you today?" He was in a cheerful mood, it seemed. But then, unless he'd had something ruffle his feathers, he was typically content and happy.

With a look from Chakotay, she sighed and related her little problem in very simple, very easy to understand, very "I don't really want to be here," terms: "I feel sick." He had to hide another smile by looking down at the plainly carpeted floor.

"Nauseas?" asked the Doctor.

"Yes."

"Please, sit down." He led them to a biobed, and she obliged as he picked up tricorder once more. Taking the small device out of its resting place in a groove on the back of the instrument, he slowly raised and lowered it along her upper body, gazing intently at the readings he was getting.

Kathryn looked up at her husband again, eyebrow cocked as though to say, "Any day now, would be nice." Impatience and Sickbay went hand-in-hand with this woman, and he patted her shoulder with a quiet chuckle.

At long last, the hologram made a sound. He didn't speak, he just...hummed. His usual, vague hum, that really could mean absolutely anything at any given time. But this hum brought with it a very strange smile. Very, very strange smile. "Doctor... While we're young, please," she prodded. "I have things to do."

The smile remained as he looked up to regard them again. Putting away his instrument, it was a moment before he spoke again. "Congratulations."

Husband and wife shared a quizzical, puzzled look, before Chakotay prodded, "Excuse me?" It would be helpful if he were actually straight forward at times like these. But, in the years to come, he would wonder how either of them could possibly have been so very clueless. What _else _could, "Congratulations," have meant to a married couple when the woman was feeling ill?

He blinked at them. "In about six or seven months, there will be a new addition to our family."

Kathryn froze completely, her eyes wide and lips parted in utter shock. Clueless as they might have been, there was absolutely no mistaking what _that _meant. Chakotay's manner was very similar; a dumbfounded expression on his face, he braced himself against the console he'd been standing by. Something beeped in protest behind him, but it went unnoticed in the silent, breathless moment. "Y-you mean..." Her voice was faint as she searched the Doctor's face for any sign of teasing, of a joke. But, just as Chakotay had been very serious when he'd proposed to her after crashing on that planet, so was the medic of photons and forcefields.

"You and the Commander will soon be the proud parents of a bouncing baby astronaut," he replied, brightly. Another silent moment. "...Is that bad?"

She didn't answer. He wasn't certain why, but he took the liberty of replying anyway. "No, it's just..." Chakotay scratched his ear lightly, not entirely sure what to say. What _did _an expectant father say at this point...? "Not...expected?" he finished lamely.

"A shock," breathed Kathryn, obviously still trying to regain composure. "Doctor... Please excuse us..."

"Hm? Oh... Yes. Of course. Computer, deactive EMH." The man dissolved before their eyes, and the couple was left alone in more silence. Their eyes met, and they just blinked at each other for a moment. Only a moment, though, before he'd crossed and taken her up into his arms. A child. They were going to have a child. _He would be a father!_

"Parents," he laughed. She was silent, though. She wasn't even really returning his embrace. He drew back, holding her arms. "...Kathryn? Is something wrong?"

She gazed up at him, an almost pained look in her eyes. "...A child."

"Yes?" He smiled, but it was a confused, questioning gesture. Was there something wrong with that?

"I... I don't know. I'm happy - I am. I'm excited. I've wanted to be a mother for a long time. But... What kind of life can we give a child? We, the captain and first officer of a starship lost in the _Delta Quadrant_."

"Naomi Wildman was born here."

"Her mother is not a Starfleet captain."

Chakotay shook his head. "She is a Starfleet officer, though. She may not command the ship, but she does have responsibilities. ...Kathryn." He put a hand to her cheek. "We can do this. We may not be the best, the ideal family structure, but... Are you willing to love this child? Are you willing to do the very best we possibly can to raise and protect it?"

"Of course."

"Then it's a good home already." He smiled down at her. "All we can do is love it. All we can do is help it to grow and learn, and keep it safe. That's all any parent can do, whether settled on a planet or lost in an unknown part of space. And yes, we'll be busy. But this may mean that you'll have to delegate just a little more. And that's _okay._" She worked too much herself as it was. "Trust me." He kissed her forehead, and slowly, she slipped her arms around him at last. He held her, still trying to get it straight in his mind that they were to become parents.

----------------------------------------------------

Eee! New addition to the family! But, Kitty is quite apprehensive...

Janeway: I really don't think a Starfleet Captain _can _raise a child...

Sure ya' can! Trust me - I'm writing it. ...You'll be fine... Keep watching, peeps.


	2. Surprise

Okay. Yeah, I deleted the former chapter 2 in favor of this different path. Oh, and this fiction assumes Voyager's sixteen years shaved off by Endgame. So pretty much, it's during Admiral Janeway's life before she went back in time to get 'em home quicker. …Does that make sense?

Janeway: If you have patience to puzzle it out.

Good enough! Here ya' go.

--

Well, that was interesting. Breathlessly, the new mother watched in wide-eyed shock as she was carefully handed one sobbing bundle, then another. Twins… One boy; one girl. They were gorgeous babies – the most precious things she'd ever seen. But…twins?

Kathryn, utterly speechless as she was, simply stared up into similarly bewildered dark eyes belonging to her husband. In unison they looked back down at their tiny, newborn son and daughter. "Wh…"

"Congratulations, Captain. Commander. They're both strong and healthy," the Doctor informed them quietly. "…If not quiet." He smiled, tickling the girl's cheek gently. Straightening and setting down his tricorder, with which he had just scanned both babies, he tapped his commbadge. "All hands, this is the Doctor. Please welcome aboard _two _new arrivals. A girl, and a boy."

She couldn't help but laugh when cheering and applause followed a brief moment of surprised silence over the comm before the channel closed. "Two…"

"Two," echoed Chakotay, scratching his ear idly. Again, they shared a glance. "This changes things a bit. I guess this is what happens when we don't let the Doctor tell us anything beforehand."

"They need names," Kathryn stated. She shifted a bit, and her first officer tentatively lifted the little girl into his own arms. She was grateful for that. Now, she resettled the boy, able to hold him a bit more securely and comfortably now.

They had had several picked out for both genders, but they had yet to settle on any one – or two, as the case required now. "Well... What about Zoe? We both liked that one for a girl."

She nodded. "Yes, I do like that. But what about him?" she asked. They were both speaking softly – reverently. It didn't seem right to raise their voices any more than this around these wonderful new creatures. "We had a little trouble with boys' names."

Chakotay regarded his son thoughtfully, bouncing his daughter a little as he considered. "Zachary," he finally suggested. "Zoe and Zachary?"

She liked the sound of that. Eventually, the names were officially settled: Zoe Corinne and Zachary Michael. She cuddled the latter to her face lovingly. "We're parents." It was amazing. What was not amazing, nor surprising in any way, was the arrival of the entire senior staff several minutes later. Neelix was with them, of course, and Miral. There was an exclamation of congratulations before the little family was surrounded and fawned over. Even Tuvok looked pleased – if that was possible.

Kathryn watched as B'Elanna held Zoe with the care of a mother – which made sense, considering the fact that she had a daughter of her own already. Miral, who was by this time going on two years old, was even allowed to say hello to the two newcomers. Zachary, however, would settle for no one but his mother. He cried and clung, and cried some more, much in contrast to his sister. Zoe took it all in with an amazed sense of fascination, not so much as whimpering as she was very gently passed from person to person. At last she was returned to her father, to whom she then attached – though she still watched everyone else closely.

Both infants had fine strands of dark hair smoothed over their heads, a testament to their father. Zoe showed signs of the captain's own features already, though. It was hard to tell with her brother whom he took after most at this point, although his eyes resembled Chakotay's vaguely, she thought.

"You all got here pretty quick," the Native American remarked wryly, looking back now at the other adults. "What, were you waiting outside with your ears to the door?"

Harry and Neelix looked at each other. "Actually…" The ensign scratched the back of his head. "Neelix and I were pacing in the corridor."

Here, the entire gathering broke into laughter. "Your devotion is inspiring," she told them. Zachary had settled into a comfortable sleep, tiny fist gripping her shirt securely. She smiled fondly at him. Eventually, the new parents were left alone. Kathryn, at least, was exhausted.

Chakotay perched on the edge of the biobed upon which his wife lay half asleep, absently stroking her little boy's warm head. He smiled in amusement at the sight. "You see?" he prodded quietly. "That wasn't so hard." His grin widened at her faint snort.

"No. I was only shouting out of pure, inexplicable _joy_. Next time, you can go through the whole childbirth wonder."

"Oh, believe me. I experienced enough of it sitting next to you." He chuckled, resettling Zoe in his arms. "I haven't held a baby in so long. And little Naomi never prepared me for a child of my own."

"I don't know that anyone is ever totally prepared for children. But that doesn't stop their coming." She closed her eyes, brushing aside a strand of hair damp with sweat from her forehead.

"I'm certainly glad of that." The native American sighed contentedly.

He would have to leave Kathryn and the twins here in Sickbay for a couple days, he knew. …Their quarters would seem so empty with only him. He was so accustomed to sharing space, going solo for a bit would be weird. But at least it would give him some time to get another crib set up and the place ready for a bustling little family.

This…was going to be interesting.

He gave Zoe to the Doctor, who took her for a quick checkup before he settled her down, and stood. Bending over, he gave Kathryn – now fast asleep – a light kiss on the forehead. They were married, and no one was around. He was entitled.

He smoothed Zachary's thin hair in another farewell, and with a parting look of pride and fondness over his family, left for the needed preparations.

--

Awww, twins. How cute! But holy cow… That's gonna complicate matters a bit. How in the galaxy is Voyager going to cope with two mini-terrors, _plus _Miral? Dundundun!

Janeway: This should prove, as Chakotay said, very interesting… -Nervous-

Yep! xD


End file.
